TLDR: In this 3 weeks in Sri Lanka itinerary I show you how you can make the most of a trip to the former British Colony Ceylon, and hospitable paradise that is the pearl of the Indian Ocean. I last visited the island as part of the Rickshaw run with charity lunatics the Adventurists, and fortunately kept a video diary of my trip. After digging out my notes I thought I’d share a bit of what we learned.
Jump to: The itinerary | When to go | Safety | Budget | Getting around | Best stays
What to know before you go
Ave temp
22°C-28°C Oct – Feb
27°C-30°C March – Sept
Languages spoken
Sinhala and TamilEnglish understood
Money needed
Rupees required. Change in country
Visa info
30-day visa-free for UK.
US/CAN/AUS $50 ETA
With its tropical climate, the island can be at the mercy of monsoon season (Yala in the South-west, Maha in the North), so if you want to be assured of avoiding any heavy downpours or danger and are planning on exploring all points on the compass here; Jan to April, as well as September are your best bets.
My own trip to Sri Lanka brought me to the island in August which puts you at the end of the Southern monsoon season (Yala), but even though we ventured to that part of the island during this period, no Monsoons were seen. So take it for what it’s worth as an anecdote, just because it’s Monsoon season, it doesn’t mean you’re about to float off into the ocean. That all being said, many people quite like the break in scorchio heat the downpours bring. Would I come back again in August? Without a doubt.
Temperature wise when we were there, it was around the annual average – approx 26°C (79°F) to 30°C (86°F) and more often than not, north of that. We found the cold beer helps though, or a trip to the mountains for some respite.
This is a bit of a lol from us, as you can see we travelled the island via tuk tuk, which was less about comfort and more about choice. We were racing against dozens of other teams doing the same. However as most people will have seen on Instagram and Tiktok, there are some good rail networks, and plenty of coach/bus operators too, to get you from place to place. It can be a bit patchy in places, and you may find hiring a motorbike/moped etc can make your life a little easier. Word of caution, driving standards are not very consistent and we were run off the road at one stage by a bus.
Still, if you were on the bus you’d have been pretty safe.
Our wing-mirror didn’t appreciate the experience though.
3 weeks is more than enough time to explore Sri Lanka well. 21 days in the country will afford you enough time to see the major cities, take in a safari, hit the beaches and the tea plantations, before making that traditional backpacker pilgrimage to Ella. (Aka the train and bridge photo)
Our own trip didn’t get us everywhere such as Arugam Bay, Trincomalee and Poonagary in the north which makes me feel a touch sad, but it also left me feeling like I could always go back…and that’s a suresign of a wonderful place to visit.
Do I feel like I shortchanged myself with 3 weeks in Sri Lanka? No, not at all. Any less and I’d possibly think that, but 21 days was spot on.
Language wise, Sri Lankan’s official languages are Sinhala and Tamil, representing the two distinct ethnic groups in the country. However due to the historic association between Sri Lanka and the UK, English is a recognised language and is pretty widely spoken. While there I did try and learn a few words in Sinhala, but found that English was 100% of the time spoken back to me. As for currency, it’s the Sri Lankan Rupee, not to be confused with the Indian version.
You won’t find many coins as the money is pretty heavily debased vs Sterling, Euro or USD. Eg: £10 GBP is around 4000 Sri Lankan Rupee. Best tip – grab a little bit of paper money from a travelex and load up a Wise or Revolut bank card for withdrawing cash or swiping on the go. Card was taken in a lot of places but with patchy internet signal in some parts of the country, cash is happily taken. If you get any left over and don’t fancy adding it to your collection of toy money, tips go a long way but are not expected.
Pay it forward 😉
Depending when you’re going you may want to take some light waterproofs. If you’re going in the monsoon months it will still be warm so it’s not exactly Moncler coat weather. We spent our entire trip in shorts, and pairing that with vests and tees. I think the only time I put on trousers was when I got gifted some haram pants from my travel mates to wear in Ella(see below) and at night in the tea plantation area of Nuwara Eliya. You’re at altitude there so it gets a lot cooler.
Bring something like Birkenstocks, trainers, maybe hiking boots and you’re pretty golden. The island is quite relaxed but still is a traditional country with conservative values and it’s advisable for females to take some more modest attire, especially for when visiting some of the religious cultural destinations. Same goes for guys, don’t rock up in a stringer Pantera t-shirt while walking around the Temple of the Tooth, show a bit of respect and pack a nice linen shirt or similar. The upside is linen shirts are also a nice ‘quiet luxury’ staple piece. So you have something packed if you visit a more upmarket restaurant while you’re visiting.
To get a deeper idea of what to take on an extended trip around Sri Lanka, check out our packing guide, linked below:
Travel Safety in Sri Lanka
Growing up I would hear a lot about the civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers, a separatist group based in the North of the country. This resulted in vast loss of life over its 26 year period and only came to an end in 2009 when the group and it’s leader were defeated. Since then tensions between the region and the country have dissipated and civil unrest is rare. The most recent notable act of terrorism was in 2019 with the Easter attacks that occurred several months after I’d visited. Multiple locations were targeted in what was found to be an act of Islamic fundamentalism vs the population who are for the most part Buddhist, Hindu and Christian. The group who acted out this terror attack were inspired by ISIL and don’t represent an increased threat to tourists vs locals. They appear to be an extreme minority and the act led to the development of stronger counter-terrorism investment and expertise.
FWIW, I would feel safer in Sri Lanka than I would in Madrid, London or New York, three other places that have experienced significant terrorism too. If you want an updated take on the safety and security for travellers heading this way, you can check out the UK’s FCO page at:
For up-to-date travel safety warnings in the main remaining area of less stability, check out the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice site covering Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Travel Safety Advice
Our own 3 week Sri Lanka trip/roadtrip
DISCLAIMER: This post might have links to travel services and products that we enjoy. We might make a commission from it at no extra cost to you.
I’ll try not to kill the vibe here, but I lost both my parents in 18 months due to the C word. It as you imagine destroyed me and my sister. Knowing how finite life is and how my mum told me she regretted missed travel moments, sparked a desire in me to stretch my legs and explore the world a little more. With me this usually means finding the most inappropriate way to travel and book it without much more thought.
Enter…the Rickshaw Run – a 3 week overland trip around Sri Lanka, all in aid of charity.
Distance Covered: 1000 km (approx)
Crashes: 2
Favourite Place: Ella
Favourite City: Hikkaduwa
Favourite Activity: Croc spotting on safari
Favourite Event: Snake charming on the bridge
Surprise Gem: Talalla Bay
Whу? Talalla Bay has a beautiful sandy crescent beach bay, with palms set back from it all. It feels an escape from everything which gives it some of that Robinson Crusoe charm. Come here for peace and quiet.
Tip for roadtrippers: Get travel insurance
You never know when you’re going to need it, and for us, it was nearly on day 1 of our road trip when we got smashed into by a bus. We were lucky and come off fine, but an inch or two to the left and the bus that hit us, could have done some serious long term damage to us all. No amount of personal savings would cover the likely cost of sorting that mess out. So…for a few dollars do get peace of mind.
Who to use?
Ekta is one choice we have linked below, they help support the blog, but there are others available too. Just, make sure you have some coverage.
Try this: EKTA Insurance
The Itinerary: 3 Weeks Of Sri Lankan safaris, selfies and sunshine
So, we took a trip to Sri Lanka and spent 21 days covering as much as we could, in the aid of a charity rally with the Adventurists. Our roadtrip was completed by tuk tuk, but at the speeds we went, you’re probably better off using coaches or taxis as your overland transport. Either way, it’s a wonderful place to visit and in the routemap below, you can see the journey we followed.
This is one way to do a 3 week Sri Lanka itinerary, and of course there are always going to be other routes you can take. But we found this was the best way to capture historical sights, cultural ones, glimpses of British Empire, beaches, parties and some fresh air in the tea hills.
What’s stunning about Sri Lanka, is it’s such a diverse place for what is quite a small country. If I went back, I’d likely follow a similar route as it just captures so much variety. (Maybe I’d spin out east to catch Trincamaloo.)
You will be able to find a party, you will be able to find elephants, you will be able to find temples and you will be able to sunbathe like you’re in the Caribbean.
If you’re undecided on Sri Lanka, don’t be – just do it. Here’s our 3 week itinerary to help you plan your own trip.
Our favorite places to go in Sri Lanka ❤️
Day 1–2: Colombo
Jet lag and Irish bars
As a history buff, I was excited to see Colombo’s legacy architecture of the British Empire, and how it now looks as a nation forging its own destiny. You have old colonial era style hotels, nestling on the edge of sprawling urban areas. At times it can feel a little wild, but from the roof top of our hotel with a view across the port, you sense a harmoniuous place with a lot of drive.
Colombo has everything you need. Whether it’s looking at culturally important buildings such as a the seat of Government, singing Irish Rover at the Four Leafed Clover, or drinking tea looking at Naval vessels of the world pull into port. It’s also well connected to the rest of the country and so makes for an obvious starting point.
We rocked up pretty tired, and checked in at the Grand Oriental, one of the oldest hotels in the country. It’s had a facelift now, but it looked like it hadn’t seen much change since the 60s when we got there. It’s affordable, the staff are very helpful and is well located to explore the city. Recommended. Our time here involved getting drunk, exploring the city on a tuk tuk, fixing jet lag and shipspotting on the harbour. It’s not exactly Bangkok or Singapore, but you have to stop here if you’re visiting SL. A day or 2 was enough personally for me.
Best Bits: Nostalgia meets growing metropolis.
Worst Bits: Pretty hectic.
Getting There: Our starting point after flying in from the UK, Colombo is the biggest city in Sri Lanka and the city is easily accessible from the airport. We used a private taxi, which cost around £14/$17 and took around 90 minutes Transfers from the airport
Day 2–4: Negombo Beach
Where real Sri Lanka starts
Negombo is a nice break from Colombo, and on our own 3 week Sri Lanka trip, we came here to meet up with the rest of the Adventurists who would be racing across the country in tuk-tuks with us. While it has got a little touristy now, for the most part, it’s worlds away from back home in the UK. There are a number of beach style pubs, and some lovely homestead style accommodations. We had to change after our first night due to availability, but all we found was really hospitable, clean and comfortable places to stay.
I think a couple of days here was enough, as there is so much more to see and do in Sri Lanka, but if you’ve travelled a long way to get here, you can do worse than heading straight to Negombo and finding your feet. When we weren’t cooling down in the pool, we spent our evenings meeting other travellers at night in Koko and Rodeo pub just along the beach. Great spots for meeting other backpackers and solo travellers
Best Bits: A safe spot, with beaches and lagoons.
Worst Bits: Touristy and can feel a little busy at times.
Getting There: It’s about 45 minutes from Colombo to Negombo and well serviced by trains, buses and taxis. The trains and buses are super cheap and a worthwhile ‘shoestring experience’.
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/train/colombo/negombo.
Day 4–5: Kandy
Weeee liiike…Kandy.
I like Kandy a lot. It’s got small town vibes, with a nice topography, which means lots of rooftop views. We found our sunsets were often sat on a roof terrace playing cards meeting other backpackers and just feeling pretty relaxed. As a town, you have bars and restaurants if you want them, and it has a number of places of interest to occupy your time.
From the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, to the botanical garden, you can while away your days quite easily here. In the gardens are a number of trees that are home to thousands of bats, all hanging upside down asleep. It’s something you don’t get to see often! It’s here where my travel mates bartered hard on a pair of very loud Haram pants for me to wear as a dare. Picture incoming!
If you’re travelling into the tea plantation regions of the country, Kandy is en route and so is a great choice for a stop to recharge your batteries and break up the journey. The same can be said, if you’re heading to the east coast too.
We stayed in a lovely homestay with great balcony views called Altura. The place also had good roadside parking for our wagon, which was a must as we didn’t fancy having to explain that we lost it. We also saw a warthog and a dog walking around together at night. Weirdest animal collaboration yet! Two nights here and then we headed off on our 3 week Sri Lanka itinerary to Nuwara Eliya – plantation land.
Best Bits: The Botanic Gardens and those bats
Worst Bits: For us…the bus that almost killed us
Getting There: From Negombo to Kandy takes between 3 and 4 hours if you’re going by taxi or bus respectively. We obviously went by Tuk-Tuk so it took about 6! Expect to pay between £30/$40 and £65/$80 if you’re taking a taxi.
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/train/negombo/kandy.
Day 5–6: Nuwara Eliya
Milk and two sugars
Nuwara Eliya is home to the tea plantations of Sri Lanka. Steeped in history, steeped in tea bags and a ludicrously perilous journey by us in a tuk tuk at night. While it wasn’t our intention to drive there at night, we were in a tuk tuk, averaging 25-30 mph, so had little choice in the matter. Why so perilous? The hills….and the absence of road barriers. Still, when you can see the world around you, the green hills are stunning.
Being at altitude, similar to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, the air is cooler and if you are struggling with the heat at sea level, this part of the country offers some real respite.
Most people visit here to tour the plantations, but I think the region makes for a good hike/walking destination too. With it’s British fingerprints, there are some quirks of that in the types of buildings you see in the area. From Welsh style stone cottages, to more traditional timber frame luxury retreats. There’s a diversity of places to stay because of this too.
We spent a fair amount of time exploring on foot, looking out for wild monkeys before taking afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel (and went back for takeaway cakes in the morning.). While I was going back over my notes to remember how we spent our time here, it struck me as how English parts of the landscape looked. Then I saw I’d marked the place as ‘Little England’. Which is it seems how it’s widely known colloquially. Makes sense. Well worth the visit.
As a tip, it does get chilly at night, so take a pullover or something if you are walking about.
Best Bits: The fresh air
Worst Bits: Not having a warm top at night.
Getting There: Again, we travelled this route via a tuk-tuk and it took us about 9 hours. But if you’re normal and use the train, expect to get there in 3 and a half hours, which will set you back less than £15/$20.
See Tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/kandy/nuwara-eliya
Day 6–10: Ella
Yes, that place with the train
If you’ve seen photos of Sri Lanka and are planning on taking a trip here, then there is a 101% chance you saw photos of Ella, or local places of interest. That picture of backpackers hanging from a train carriage as it arcs around a mountainside – that’s Ella. That picture you saw of solo travellers flicking their hang back under a waterfall – that’s Ella. That picture you saw of someone sat on a bridge hanging their legs down – that’s Ella.
For all those very photogenic moments and so much more, Ella is a must stop. With that advice, it does mean you will find there is a trail of wannabe bohemians treading the same step as you, but don’t let that put you off. Even if they are carrying their ring light, tripod and gopros in hand. I can only describe the place as Ubud meets Somerset and a welcome oasis after a lot of stiflingly warm travel.
We pulled into the main town strip and after a lot of driving and ruralness, saw bamboo bars, or wooden framed palaces of backpacker pleasure. These ‘shacks for effect’ were selling cold beers with dozens of customers looking like us, all sat on cushions smiling and we said “Yes, we will stay a while.” I think you will do the same.
We spent 4 nights here, which was enough to get all the pictures you wanted, do some sunbathing, recover from some hangovers and get to know other travellers by sharing tips and swapping stories.
Top spots:
- 7 Arch Bridge
- The Railway
- Lipton’s Seat
- Diyaluma Falls (Waterfalls)
Best Bits: You’ve already seen them on instagram
Worst Bits: Queuing for your selfie
Getting There: By train and public transport, expect around a 3 hour journey for a trip from Nuwara Eliya to Ella and pay about £11 / $15 USD. If you’re in a tuk tuk being stupid like us, assume 5-6 hours. At least here there is more downhill action.
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/nuwara-eliya/ella.
Day 10–12: Udawalawe National Park
Baby Elephants & Crocodile Hunting
Sri Lanka is blessed with some wonderful safari options, that make it a dream destination for wildlife lovers. While getting down to the national parks and across to the country isn’t the simplest journey, if you want an alternative to the boujis costs of Africa, then this place is a brilliant alternative.
Call me stupid, but I didn’t know the option of Safari existed here, so when planning the 3 week itinerary of Sri Lanka, it was an insane surprise. The safari industry is still quite cottage in size and that means prices are good, density of tourist is low and time in the park is good. I would love to take my own son here, and it’s a reason alone to revisit Sri Lanka.
The journey to Udawalawe from Ella takes you along rust red dusty tracks, and is likely to see you stop while a herd of buffalo or family of elephants potter around. At one stage an elephant came up to our tuk tuk and started nosing it’s trunk around. Quite scary, as you get a sense of the power of the beast, but fortunately, he was happy to take Rob’s banana (not a euphemism) and head off back to the side of the road.
Being a national park area means you have lots of ranch style accommodation. We stayed at the Walawa Blue Sapphire, which had a safari/jungle vibe and was both welcoming and bang on the vibe we wanted. I can’t fault it, but there are also some other incredible places to stay near Udawalawe as you might imagine. Here’s where we spent our time: Blue Sapphire
It’s pretty humid in this part of Sri Lanka, so we found ourselves being able to drink ice cold beer and it barely touching the sides. Our body’s craved any form of liquid. Take some mosquito or insect repellent as there are watering holes in the region which can mean you get annoyed at night time. Our hosts were great though and provided us with anti-insect candles as well as fly nights above our beds.
In the park itself, we saw families of elephants, crocodiles stalking water birds, hippos and leopard. The whole experience here was unforgettable and possibly my favourite part of the whole trip.
Best Bits: Elephant families.
Worst Bits: Mosquitos and the crocodiles staring at the baby elephants.
Getting There: This isn’t a route well served by public transport and usually is best sorted with private taxis or in our case, a tuk tuk. The journey time is around 2-4 hours, with that wide swing in time to cover potential roadblocks. We had an elephant in the road for about an hour on our trip. If you’re sharing a journey expect to pay from £25/$35 per person for a one way route.
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/ella/udawalawe-safari-park
Day 12–14: Dikwella & Talalla Beach
Dropping off the Tuk Tuk
Not a common stop for many who visit Sri Lanka, Dikwella is on the southern tip of the island nation and is home to some glorious beaches. Our race route ended just outside Dikwella, by a beautiful secluded sandy stretch called Talalla beach. We dropped off our untrustworthy steed and spent the rest of the time exploring on foot, and later departing by taxi. We spent two nights here but you could spend a lifetime.
So, why should you visit Dikwella? It is a quiet charming coastal town, that’s safe, has lots of lovely beaches and feels like a little paradise. Dotted along the coastline are a range of restaurants and bars and it could be any Asian farflung destination you’ve dreamed of. If you’re in Sri Lanka visiting for a few weeks, or even less; you’ll find accommodation is affordable, the pace of life is slow and the air is clean. Imagine the beaches of Thai islands before they got avalanched by tourism and you can picture Dikwella. Highly recommended.
Best Bits: Secluded Beaches
Worst Bits: Saying goodbye to the Tuk Tuk.
Getting There: Expect a journey time of about 1 hour and a bit from Udawalawe to Dikwella. Or triple that if you’re driving a glorified moped carrying 60 stone of man and bags. If you’re sharing a taxi between 2 or 3 people, budget for £35/$35 each…tops.
See Tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/udawalawe-safari-park/dikwella
Day 14-15: Galle
UNESCO World Heritage Site
After leaving our tuk tuk behind in Dikwella, we hopped in a taxi to Galle. This is an historic centre, that is UNESCO World Heritage rated. Formerly a Portuguese fort town, it has that fusion of Sri Lankan landscape with Iberian history. It’s really easy to explore on foot and has plenty to occupy a personally guided walking tour.
We only spent a day here, as it did feel a little limited for things to do beyond exploring inside the city walls and we probably saw more tourists than locals. This isn’t to knock it, or suggest you shouldn’t stop here, you absolutely should. But having just spent some amazing time on safari and then on the beaches around Dikwella, we used this to get back to civilisation before heading to our next beach stop up the coast.
Galle is well serviced by transport links from here to other major cities and is probably best suited for those travellers who want a more traditional hotel experience. Being a town, it has a lot more amenities, and if you’ve been backpacking or roughing it across Sri Lanka for a couple of weeks, you will appreciate the stop to recharge and pamper yourself a bit. As if laying on the beach drinking a cold Lion Lager wasn’t pampering enough! We got some laundry done and I hit a workout at Tecno Gym which likely made no dent in the amount of beer I’d drunk while being here. But it had protein shakes and plenty of barbells for me to sweat in the insane heat over.
Best Bits: Walking tours of the fort and sunsets.
Worst Bits: Bit limited for activities if more than 48 hours.
Getting There: 90 minute drive from Dikwella, expect to need to hire a taxi rather than trains or buses. Taxi prices are around £60/$80.
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/dikwella/galle
Day 15–19: Hikkaduwa Beach
Beach party time
After more than 2 weeks around Sri Lanka, we were less than 5 days away from needing to head back to the UK. We had covered a fair bit of distance and seen so much, but there is nothing worse than going home exhausted. So…we jumped on a 30 minute train to Hikkaduwa Beach and decided to spend a few days doing nothing but what us Brits do best – bar hopping. While Hikkaduwa isn’t exactly a bar hopping clubber’s paradise, it does have a nice selection of chilled out beach bars, where you can watch the sun go down while being served cocktails. It’s glorious.
But there is more to Hikkaduwa than booze. It is a gorgeous beach side village, with protected areas for exotic marine life, including turtles and has some great surf nearby too. It attracts visitors from all over the world, but retains a sense of general calm still. Which makes it a must-stop destination when in the country. Don’t get me wrong, it does have a great nightlife, in part as it’s a popular surf spot, so if letting your hair down and making new friends is your thing, then you’ll be pleased you came.
One other advantage of it being popular with younger tourists, 20-40, is that you have a good selection of decent hostels, so Hostelworld is your friend round here. We actually stayed in an apartment as we wanted a bit more space to unpack ready for the final leg of our journey, and ended up with a balcony overlooking the beach. I think that is standard though around here, as the area is built along the coastal strip. Not bad discovery 🙂
Best Bits: The beach bars
Worst Bits: Hangovers in the heat
Getting There: A thirty minute train ride for less than £5/$7 from Galle, which is how we got there.
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/galle/hikkaduwa
Day 19–21: Colombo
Just one more thing…
And with that, we returned back to Colombo, not remotely ready to fly home again. That was our 3 week Sri Lanka itinerary and how I recommend you could consider doing the trip too. Beaches, hikes, instagrammable moments, parties and safaris. You can’t really be sad at that. Well, the going home bit certainly.
Best Bits: The entire trip
Worst Bits: Going home
Getting There: 2 hours by train later and we arrived back in Colombo from Hikkaduwa. The trip cost around £5 each. ($6.50).
See tickets: https://12go.asia/en/travel/hikkaduwa/colombo
Best Places to Stay in Sri Lanka
Drop Inn Colombo
📍 Hostel, Colombo
Marino Beach Colombo
📍 Hotel, Colombo
Hangover Hostels Ella
📍 Hostel, Ella
Tomorrowland Hostel
📍 Hostel, Ella
Wild Bee Hostel
📍 Hostel, Ella
Hummus Hostel
📍 Hostel, Hikkaduwa
One more itinerary idea
We tried to make sure our 3 week trip around Sri Lanka, wasn’t having us constantly on the move, and where a good part of it was driving a very slow tuk tuk, we did get tired. This was why we chose to spend a little longer in a few places. You want to enjoy your trip and not just be on the road. However, if I was using more sane forms of transport, there is a slight modification to the route I would have taken. Here it is for you to consider
The route East
Kandy > Poonakary > Trincamalee > Arugam Bay > Ella and carry on
- Head from Kandy to the North, Poonakary – Nature lover’s will be happy (2 days)
- Next, head down the North East coast to Trincamalee – Unspoilt beaches and a top spot for whale watching and diving (2 days)
- Then head down to Arugam Bay – A surfer’s paradise and sustainable tourism spot (2-3 days)
- From here cut back in to Nuwara Eliya
This addition to the main route will likely add on an extra 4-5 days, but give you the chance to see the North and East coasts as well. It adds about 900km to the trip, and is about 19 hours of driving time. So it’s something you’d want to break up in chunks clearly. Is it necessary? Well, Trincamalee has a slow pace of life – not that this is hard to find in SL, but being a bit out of the way to most tourists means the beaches here are often your own. Arugam Bay is somewhat of an extension of this experience. Up north in Poonakary, you are largely visiting for the wildlife and nature experience.
Everyone needs to have their own journey they are happy with, but I do feel that the itinerary we took, tends to tick off most of these boxes anyway. Safaris in Udawalawe, surf beaches around Dikwella and Hikkaduwa as well as history in Galle.
If you cut down the number of days spent in Colombo, Negombo and Ella, you could certainly make the time to at least head east to Trincamalee and down to Arugam Bay. It means less time in some other spots, but you will have seriously completed Sri Lanka doing this.
Either way you do it, you are on the right path if you’re planning a trip to Sri Lanka. And it does need about 3 weeks to do it fully. Make the most of your trip is my main advice.
More itineraries in this part of the world:
Extra pre-trip info on Sri Lanka
I think I’ve covered a lot of the essentials on what to think about before doing a 3 week trip around Sri Lanka, but for that extra level of detail, I’ve put this section together for you.
Travel budget for 3 weeks in Sri Lanka
This information was collated from a range of open source data providers, such as pricing averages on Hostelworld.com, Viator, 12go, Booking, and public data from Budgetyourtrip.com.
Accommodation
From $30–$70 per night (£24–£55)
Food & Drink
From $15–$25 per day (£12–£20)
Transport
From $10–$20 per itinerary stop (£8–£16)
Sri Lanka 3 Week Trip Cost Calculations
Will my budget stretch? If you need to work out if your planned budget for spending 3 weeks around Sri Lanka will last the distance, try our trip cost calculator linked below. This will cover you for a 3 week roadtrip or overland bus trip, the numbers are faily similar.
What numbers to use? Use the numbers above, as these are based on backpacking on a budget to a solo traveller doing it in style. The rate for transport per day was what I averaged travelling between locations in SL. While we used a tuk tuk for a lot of the journey, you can see that travel costs tended to be pretty low when using buses and trains.
I found that for me, I got around Sri Lanka in 3 weeks on a budget of £2000 or $2600 USD. We often took taxis and did like to eat out (or drink out), but all in all we saw a lot, and didn’t scrimp much, but still saw a huge amount for what I think is pretty reasonable. That means our daily spend all in, was around £90 a day, or $105 USD.
BUDGETING: 3 Week Trip Cost CalculatorMust-try Sri Lankan Dishes & Drinks
It won’t surprise you to know a lot of what is eaten here is spice infused and curry style. Which for a curry lover, is fantastic. The best thing about food and drink in Sri Lanka is:
- It’s cheap
- It’s authentic
- It feels fairly healthy. Compared to traditional beige foods from the Western world anyway.
What to look out for?
Food
Look out for the following dishes on your travels and give them a try:
- Kottu Roti – Essentially a Sri Lankan jambalaya. Often served up as a street food dish. It’s pretty homely and contains everything from rice, spice, eggs, vegetables and meat or fish. It’s cooked up on a griddle/hot plate and tastes great. It was our go-to. Home food.
- Milk Rice – Exactly what it sounds like, but is often served as a side dish. It has a thickness or texture to it, that sticky rice is similar too. It’s ostensibly rice cooked in coconut milk and made into shapes. It can be dunked into sauces or just eaten as is. Feels like a guilty pleasure!
Drinks
When I write ‘What to drink in LOCATION’ for many places I visit, it’s often just a one off throwaway offering. Sri has a ton of things visitors will remember it for.
- Arrack – Dangerous to your sobreity
- Lion Lager – Local beer brand – comes in big bottles and often feels more refreshing (and I swear cheaper) than water. You’ll sweat so much in SL that this stuff can’t get your drunk.
Do NOT rely on that comment. - Coconut Water – Okay, this is not unique to Sri Lanka, but expect to find it here in a coconut with the top sliced open as Mother Nature intended. Refreshing and surprisingly convenient.
- Divul “Wood Apple Juice” – Imagine a brown creamy looking drink (not a latte) and you’re halfway there. Underneath the turd brown appearance of this beverage you are often handed at hotel check-in, is a pretty tasty and energising drink.
- Ceylon Tea – Yes, because this is the motherland of many of your favourite hot drinks. If you go to Sri Lanka and don’t see a tea plantation, did you ever really visit?
Anyway, while you’re there, I advise experiencing tea every morning, and Lion Lager every evening for maximum optimal enjoyment.
How will you do your 21 days in Sri Lanka?
That’s a wrap on our guide on how to do a 3 week Sri Lanka travel itinerary. If there is anything I’ve mentioned that you wanted me to personally clarify, don’t hesitate to drop me a message on our instagram, or click on my socials from the author box below.
The pearl of the Indian Ocean is a beautiful place, and if you asked me where have I been that I would go again in a heartbeat; this place ranks high. With such a diversity of landscape, safaris to surf, you could get a lifetime of contentment here, or just 3 weeks 🙂
Thank you for giving my Sri Lanka travel guide your eyeballs, and I wish you well on your own trip.
Click the enlarge button on the top right corner. Credit: map data: Google
NEXT UP: 3 Weeks in India